Electrified trolley track



y 29, 1952 F. N. BECKER ETAL ELECTRIFIED TROLL-EY TRACK Filed Jan. 13, 1949 IN VEN TORS N BECKER DEV- M/l L 76.

A T TOP/VEYS FRANCIS CAEIEOL 1 BY Patented July 29, 1952 FFICE ELECTRIFIED TROLLEY TRACK Francis N. Becker, Cleveland, and Carroll de V. Miller, Rocky River, Ohio, assignors to The American MonoRail Company, Cleveland, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Applicationdanuary s, 1949, Serial .No. 70,788

9 Claims. (Cl. 191-23) This invention relates generally to tracks for suspended conveyors and particularly to a track consisting of a new combination of rails, hangers and splices.

Heretofore, tracks of various construction have been provided for suspended conveyors but generally speaking these tracks consisted of a plurality of parts each of which performed only one function. The rails were attached to hangers which served merely to support the rails. The rails were connected together at their ends by splices or fish plates which performed merely the function of connecting the ends of adjacent rails together. When such a track was to be used with an electrified trolley, bus bars were disposed adjacent to the track to carry the current, and collectors attached to the trolley were pressed against these bars to conduct the current to the motor. The present invention provides a track comprising a new combinationvof parts in which each of several parts performs the functions of several prior parts. The resultant elimination of parts is not only reflected in decreased costs of the new track, but also in tracks of such sizes as may be accommodated in spaces too small for prior tracks.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification and in which a preferred form of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a track embodying the present invention and adapted for use in restricted spaces and with light loads;

Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of one of the hangers of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the hanger of Fig. 3 taken on line 4-4 thereof; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modified form of hanger.

The track illustrated in the figures consists of a plurality of hangers l, rails 2 on opposite sides thereof and clips or clamps 3. The hangers I have enlarged head portions 4, depending separator portions 5 and horizontal ledges 6 which are spaced from the heads by horizontal'slots 1. Each head is provided with a plurality of holes 8 to receive screws 9 which position clips 3. The head also has a vertical hole II for attachment to a hanger rod l2.

The rails 2 are alike in cross-section, each having a horizontally extending flange [3 near its upper edge to extend into one of slots 1, a web portion l6 to lie close to the side of separator portion 5 of the hanger and an outstanding horizontal wheel flange I! at its lower edge. When the rails are assembled with the hangers as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the clips 3 bearing against the outer sides of the rails to maintain flanges l5 seated in slots 1 and webs I6 closely adjacent to portions 5 of the hangers, the screws 9 may be tightened down against the clips 3 and thus the rails and hangers may be maintained in assembled position.

If and when it is desired to electrify the track just described, conductors 20 and 2| from a source of current supply may be electrically connected to opposed clips 3 and thereby connected to the two rails, and hangers I which are disposed between the rails embody material electrically insulating the ,rails from each other. In this manner the rails become terminals of the same electrical circuit. By connecting the trolley wheels l8 which run on the wheel flanges l1 with the electrical terminals of the motor on the trolley, current may be brought into one rail through conductor 20 and one clip 3 and may then flow through the wheel engaging that rail to and through the motor and back through the other wheel to the wheel flange of the other rail whence it may flow through another clip 3 to the other conductor 2].

For use in places where shielding of the electrified track against accidental contact of workmen therewith is desired, the shield 25 may be employed. This shield, as shown, is a generally U-shaped, non-conducting, thin, preferably fibrous, member which rests on the tops of the hangers and extends down past the outer sides of the trolley wheels to substantially the lower edges of the rails.

From the foregoing disclosure it will be understood that the hangers serve not only to support the rails 2 but also the clips 3. At the same time they serve as insulators when the track is electrified. Similarly, the clips 3 serve to maintain the rails in their supported position on the hangers and thus to connect them electrically. Furthermore, when the rails are parts of the electric circuit to the motor, the rails serve not only to support the trolley but also to conduct current to the trolley wheels which are electrically connected to the motor. Thus, it will be seen that tracks embodying the present invention are of greatly simplified construction as compared with prior suspended conveyor tracks and that many of the parts of prior tracks have been omitted while their functions have been retained by the present invention.

While the track illustrated herein is intended for use in a restricted space and with light loads, it is to be understood that the invention is not so limited but that, on the contrary, the invention may be embodied in tracks which run substantially the full gamut of sizes and loads to be carried normally covered by present-day suspended conveyor tracks.

While plastic compositions and the like may be satisfactory as the material of hangers l for light loads, there may be installations where such compositions will not be satisfactory. For example, where heavier rails and loads are to be supported by the hangers, plastic compositions might not afford sufiicient strength in the ledge portions and also might not have the necessary strength in the threads by which the hangers are attached to the rods l2 or other suspending means. In such cases where the track is not to be electrified, metal hangers may be used instead of those of compositions such as are suitable in the lighter installations. When such metal hangers are to be used with electrified track, the hangers may be coated with insulating material, for example, rubber on the surfaces thereof where the rails, clips and clip securing means engage it. In Fig. 5 is shown such a composite hanger. In this figure, 36 designates the metal hanger and 3| indicates an insulating coating of rubber attached in any suitable manner to the hanger over the indicated portions thereof. It will be understood that in using such a hanger with an electrifled track the clips and clip securing screws must be insulated from the hanger as may be done in any well-known manner.

Having thus described the present invention so that others skilled in the art will be able to understand and practice the same, we state that what we desire to secure by Letters Patent is defined in what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A trolley track comprising electrically conductive, parallel, elongated rails to be engaged by current collecting wheels of a traveling, load bearing, electric power consuming trolley, means connecting said rails as terminals in an electric circuit including a source of electric current, a plurality of separate rail supporting means spaced apart from each other along said rails and extending between and spacing said rails apart from each other, said means embodying electrical insulating material and insulating said r rails from each other, and separate means connecting each rail separately to said rail supporting means for ready assembly and disassembly of said rails independently of each other. 7

2. A trolley track comprising electrically conductive, parallel, elongated, rails to be engaged by current collecting wheels of a traveling, load bearing, electric power consuming trolley, each rail including segments arranged in end to end position, means connecting said rails as terminals in an electric circuit including a source of electric current, a plurality of separate rail supporting means spaced apart from each other along said rails and extending between and spacing said rails apart from each other, said means embodying electrical insulating material and insulating said rails from each other, separate means connecting each rail separately to said rail supporting means for ready assembly and disassembly of said rails independently of each other, and electrically conductive members bridging the spaces between adjacent ends on the segments which constitute a rail.

3. Track for a suspended conveyor comprising a hanger having ledges on its opposite sides,

trolley wheel carrying rails having horizontally extending flanges projecting over said ledges, clips secured to opposite sides of the hanger and engaging the outer sides of the adjacent rails to maintain the horizontally extending rail flanges on their ledges and to connect electrically the adjacent ends of said rails engaged thereby, said hanger embodying material electrically insulating from each other the rails and clips on opposite sides thereof.

4. Track for a suspended conveyor comprising a hanger having ledges on its opposite sides, trolley wheel carrying rails having horizontally extending flanges projecting over said ledges, clips secured to opposite sides of the hanger and engaging the outer sides of the adjacent rails to maintain the horizontally extending rail flanges on their ledges and to connect electrically the adjacent ends of said rails engaged thereby, said hanger embodying material electrically insulating from each other the rails and clips on opposite sides thereof, and shielding means extending over said hanger and down past said rails.

5. Track for a suspended conveyor comprising a plurality of hangers composed of insulating material, each hanger having a head portion, a separator portion depending therefrom and railsupporting ledges beneath the head portion and separated therefrom by horizontal slots, rails disposed on opposite sides of said hangers, said rails having horizontally extending flanges projecting into said slots and resting on said ledges, said rails having web portions bearing against the opposite sides of said separator portions and wheel flanges at their lower edges, electrically conductive clips secured to opposite sides of the head portions of said hangers and engaging the outer sides of adjacent rails to maintain the supporting rail flanges in their slots in the hangers and to connect electrically the adjacent ends of said rails.

6. Track for a suspended conveyor comprising a plurality of hangers composed of insulating material, each hanger having a head portion, a separator portion depending therefrom and railsupporting ledges beneath the head portion and separated therefrom by horizontal slots, rails disposed on opposite sides of said hangers, said rails having horizontally extending flanges projecting into said slots and resting on said ledges, said rails having web portions bearing against the opposite sides of said separator portions and wheel flanges at their lower edges, electrically conductive clips secured to opposite sides of the head portions of said hangers and engaging the outer sides of adjacent rails to maintain the supporting rail flanges in their slots in the hangers and to connect electrically the adjacent ends of said rails, and shielding mean extending over said hanger and down past said rails.

'7. Track for a suspended conveyor comprising a plurality of hangers, each hanger having a head portion, a separator portion depending therefrom and rail-supporting ledges beneath the head portion and spaced therefrom by horizontal'slots, electrically conductive metal rails disposed on opposite sides of said hangers, said rails having horizontally extending flanges projecting into said slots and resting on said ledges, said rails having web portions bearing against the opposite sides of said separator portions and wheel flanges at their lower edges, electrically conductive metal clips secured to opposite sides of the head portionsof said hangers and engaging the outer s des of adjacent rails to maintain the supporting rail flanges in their slots in the hangers and to connect electrically the adjacent ends of said rails, and current conductors connected respectively to said clips, said hanger also serving as an insulator between said opposed rails and their clips.

8. A hanger for a suspended conveyor comprising a head portion having transverse openings for clip attaching means, ledges to engage and support flanges of wheel bearing rails and a separator portion extending from the head portion to between rails supported by said ledges.

9. A hanger for a suspended conveyor comprising a head portion having transverse openings for clip attaching means, slots to receive flanges of trolley wheel carrying rails, ledges to engage and support said flanges and a separator portion extending from the head portion to between rails supported by said ledges, and insulating material covering surfaces of said hanger engaged by said rails, clips and clip attaching means.

FRANCIS N. BECKER. CARROLL DE V. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,590,569 Fisk June 29, 1926 1,763,495 Young June 10, 1930 1,901,977 McArdle Mar. 21, 1933 2,026,884 Glasgow Jan. 7, 1936 2,128,135 Glasgow Aug. 23, 1938 2,412,382 Anderson et a1. Dec. 10, 1946 2,443,387 Harris June 15, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 686,591 France July 28, 1930 

